Protests erupt as carcass of cow found near RSS shakha in Ranchi

RANCHI: Unidentified persons dumped the carcass of a cow overnight at a Ranchi park that hosts daily gatherings of RSS activists, sparking tension in a state that has emerged as a flashpoint of communal conflagration.

Police removed the carcass on Thursday morning, soon after it was spotted by joggers. RSS activists carried out a purification ritual of the Ram Dayal Munda Park in the heart of the capital city.

RSS activists shouted slogans and blocked the road in front of the park demanding identification and arrest of people responsible for the act. They even threatened to resort to vigilantism unless police took immediate action against the culprits.

“An FIR was lodged against unidentified persons. From now on, senior police officers will frequent the area to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Additional forces have been sent to sensitive areas,” said Sudarshan Asti, de puty superintendent of police (city).

RSS leader Sujit Singh said the incident was part of a larger conspiracy to provoke the organisation, considered the ideological mentor of the BJP that rules the state.

“Ranchi has witnessed at least six such incidents in the last one year. Cattle is slaughtered and thrown near temples, parks and public places in an attempt to instigate us. We do have faith in the administration, but it has failed to curb such incidents,” Singh said.

The incident came a fortnight after bodies of two Muslim cattle traders were hanged from a tree in the Latehar district, allegedly by right-wing Hindu groups.